Monday, December 12, 2011
A break
I know that I've only just started blogging - but I'm going to take a break until the new year. Time for less computer and more holiday!
Mary Maclane 3: Cold boiled potatoes
Following on from my first post and second post, about The Story of Mary Maclane by Herself:
Mary Maclane's joy at cold boiled potatoes runs as another theme through the play. She just can't get enough of them - she fantasizes about eating them with the devil when they get married and there's multiple songs about how wonderfully indulgent they are.
At one point, the actress has revealed more than she's comfortable with and is hiding from the audience - and it's only the prospect of cold boiled potatoes (that dropped from the sky into the narrator's hands) that entice her to come back.
She's convinced they're the one thing that God got right. (The only positive thing she says about him in most of the play.)
I feel like I resonated so much with this idea when I was a teenager. I have a memory of being completely depressed with everything in the world, and coming into our dining room. On the table was a bowl of green grapes - and as I ate them, I had a vivid feeling that the world couldn't be so bad if grapes existed in it, and maybe there were good things.
Part of me feels like this is a pretty indulgent, perspective-lacking way to think - my life has been so materially rich in so many ways, it's ungrateful to think that grapes were the only good thing to happen to me. But part of me thinks this is exactly right - that God made the world good, and there are lots of wonderful things in creation that we can look at and be reminded of his goodness.
So I enjoyed the cold boiled potatoes segment, but hope that my perspective is usually a bit healthier - I'm so much more thankful for many things that I rarely am reduced to that depressed feeling that everything is doom and gloom.
Mary Maclane's joy at cold boiled potatoes runs as another theme through the play. She just can't get enough of them - she fantasizes about eating them with the devil when they get married and there's multiple songs about how wonderfully indulgent they are.
At one point, the actress has revealed more than she's comfortable with and is hiding from the audience - and it's only the prospect of cold boiled potatoes (that dropped from the sky into the narrator's hands) that entice her to come back.
She's convinced they're the one thing that God got right. (The only positive thing she says about him in most of the play.)
I feel like I resonated so much with this idea when I was a teenager. I have a memory of being completely depressed with everything in the world, and coming into our dining room. On the table was a bowl of green grapes - and as I ate them, I had a vivid feeling that the world couldn't be so bad if grapes existed in it, and maybe there were good things.
Part of me feels like this is a pretty indulgent, perspective-lacking way to think - my life has been so materially rich in so many ways, it's ungrateful to think that grapes were the only good thing to happen to me. But part of me thinks this is exactly right - that God made the world good, and there are lots of wonderful things in creation that we can look at and be reminded of his goodness.
So I enjoyed the cold boiled potatoes segment, but hope that my perspective is usually a bit healthier - I'm so much more thankful for many things that I rarely am reduced to that depressed feeling that everything is doom and gloom.
Friday, December 9, 2011
Mary Maclane 2: on being understood
Following on from my first post about The Story of Mary Maclane by Herself:
2) Mary Maclane catalogued a bunch of men she'd been with (and a woman or two as well), but ultimately her fantasy was to marry the devil. Throughout the play, she repeatedly called out, 'Kind devil, deliver me!' and listed things she wanted to be delivered from. She turned to the devil because she thought he was the only one who could understand her loneliness, her deep self-understanding, her misunderstood genius and her depth of passion.
It made me think about who understands me. Obviously Tim and my close friends do to some extent, but it wasn't her friends who were on view in this. She was talking about complete understanding - something I used to long for in my teenage years (quite desperately).
In recent years, I've found that when things are really hard, or I'm feeling some kind of pain really intensely, it's God who I've turned to and know that he understands. I felt sad that the Christianity of her day (and probably ours too) didn't present this picture of God: Jesus as the one who understands free-thinkers and radicals because he was the ultimate non-conformist, defying the religious authorities of his day to call them to account for their corruption and hypocrisy. Jesus as the one who understands the misunderstood because he was rejected and dismissed by his family and hometown, betrayed by a close friend, suffered innocently and was eventually killed for claiming that he was who he really was. It's God my Father who comprehends every detail about me because he created me, has seen all my experiences, thoughts, actions - he knows me better than I know myself. In my more intense moments, I have turned to words like these from Psalm 42 that express that intensity so evocatively:
2) Mary Maclane catalogued a bunch of men she'd been with (and a woman or two as well), but ultimately her fantasy was to marry the devil. Throughout the play, she repeatedly called out, 'Kind devil, deliver me!' and listed things she wanted to be delivered from. She turned to the devil because she thought he was the only one who could understand her loneliness, her deep self-understanding, her misunderstood genius and her depth of passion.
It made me think about who understands me. Obviously Tim and my close friends do to some extent, but it wasn't her friends who were on view in this. She was talking about complete understanding - something I used to long for in my teenage years (quite desperately).
In recent years, I've found that when things are really hard, or I'm feeling some kind of pain really intensely, it's God who I've turned to and know that he understands. I felt sad that the Christianity of her day (and probably ours too) didn't present this picture of God: Jesus as the one who understands free-thinkers and radicals because he was the ultimate non-conformist, defying the religious authorities of his day to call them to account for their corruption and hypocrisy. Jesus as the one who understands the misunderstood because he was rejected and dismissed by his family and hometown, betrayed by a close friend, suffered innocently and was eventually killed for claiming that he was who he really was. It's God my Father who comprehends every detail about me because he created me, has seen all my experiences, thoughts, actions - he knows me better than I know myself. In my more intense moments, I have turned to words like these from Psalm 42 that express that intensity so evocatively:
My soul is cast down within me;
therefore I remember you...
Deep calls to deepIn the end, the devil turns up and rejects Mary Maclane because she's so desperate and that's unattractive. After this, in a twist that surprised me a lot and wasn't anticipated at all in the play up to that people, she turns to God and although he doesn't answer her questions, there's an intimacy and peace that is refreshing after the mad frenzy of her fantasies about the devil.
at the thunder of your cataracts;
all your waves and your billows
have gone over me.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Everyday activism - 'L is for Lifestyle'
This is the other book that I really recommend for beginning to think about how our everyday choices impact others (the first one being 'Everyday Justice'):
L is for Lifestyle: Christian living that doesn't cost the earth
by Ruth Valerio
This book goes through the alphabet, looking at 26 different areas where our daily choices have consequences for others. I remember it being quite slow-going, since each issue takes a lot of energy to get your head around and implement changes, especially if you've never thought about these things before. The first section, 'A is for Activists', concentrates on why Christians should care about activism.
This book is by a UK author, too, so some of the issues are slightly different here. (For example, B is for bananas - which are a huge Fair Trade issue in the UK, since bananas at their most popular fruit and they import them all from tropical areas - many of which are hugely dependent on bananas but have little power to negotiate trade deals. Since we grow our own bananas in Australia, it's not an 'everyday' issue for us.) The resource lists at the end of each chapter are helpful, but again - mostly related to UK organisations.
It's still an excellent introduction to a wide range of issues, though. I like to highlight these issues because the changes don't take a lot of effort to implement (changing energy suppliers, choosing FT, buying organic) but can make a difference when enough people do them.
There is also a website - L is for Lifestyle - that contains a brief snippet about each issue, plus lists of organisations, websites and books on the topic.
L is for Lifestyle: Christian living that doesn't cost the earthby Ruth Valerio
This book goes through the alphabet, looking at 26 different areas where our daily choices have consequences for others. I remember it being quite slow-going, since each issue takes a lot of energy to get your head around and implement changes, especially if you've never thought about these things before. The first section, 'A is for Activists', concentrates on why Christians should care about activism.
This book is by a UK author, too, so some of the issues are slightly different here. (For example, B is for bananas - which are a huge Fair Trade issue in the UK, since bananas at their most popular fruit and they import them all from tropical areas - many of which are hugely dependent on bananas but have little power to negotiate trade deals. Since we grow our own bananas in Australia, it's not an 'everyday' issue for us.) The resource lists at the end of each chapter are helpful, but again - mostly related to UK organisations.
It's still an excellent introduction to a wide range of issues, though. I like to highlight these issues because the changes don't take a lot of effort to implement (changing energy suppliers, choosing FT, buying organic) but can make a difference when enough people do them.
There is also a website - L is for Lifestyle - that contains a brief snippet about each issue, plus lists of organisations, websites and books on the topic.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
The Story of Mary Maclane by Herself
Tim and I were very generously offered tickets to see The Story of Mary Maclane by Herself last weekend. (Warning - if you're planning to go see it, you might not want to read below.)
I've been dwelling on it for a few days. Here's a brief description:
More than one hundred years ago, The Story of Mary MacLane set America aflame. A shocking confessional from a 19-year old girl who refused to succumb to the corset-bound prudery of her age, Mary’s scandalous memoir broke all the rules – and sold over 100,000 copies.
In some ways, it's a character study: self-expression from a passionate, desperate, lonely, intense, self-absorbed, honest, raw and ground-breaking woman. She's been described as 100 years before her time, and the parallels between her personality and what is now common in our society were distinctly highlighted. She was incredibly scandalous in her time, but today her sexual exploits and self-indulgence aren't particularly shocking.
I found myself resonating with some aspects of her personality - at least myself before I started following Jesus. I think now the same longings and desires are there, they're just met differently (and far more happily than hers). Here's a few thoughts - in a series of posts, to keep them short-ish:
1) I was sad to hear her repeatedly dismiss Christians, and especially Christian women.* She felt they were uptight, boring, mundane things and completely different to her passionate, honest and self-aware genius.
I wish the Christian women in her day had expressed their faith differently - although I acknowledge that it was a different culture and I don't want to judge my sisters! I think Christians, and Christian women, often have this reputation - prudish, boring, etc. I'm fortunate to know lots of funny, passionate, joyful, insightful, deep, real Christian women - but I think there's a danger of conforming and hiding honest, real experiences of life under a facade of what is 'proper' and 'right'. I don't want to pretend to have it all together when the whole point of my faith is that I don't and I need help.
I love it when Christians are expressively passionate, without being loopy. When there's a depth of honesty and rawness that is obviously genuine and reflects their actual experience. I think we need more of this, and we need to communicate that following Jesus doesn't involve losing our personalities and individuality.
I'm also aware that sometimes the reason I'm not completely open and honest about things is to protect others (myself too, but I'm not focussing on that now!). There are things I just need to shut up about because they're not my secrets to tell, or it wouldn't be loving/loyal to speak. I find that hard because my preference is to share. Mary Maclane admits quite freely that she doesn't think of anyone but herself, so she isn't constrained at all by the desire to not slander others.
* I'll speak about the things the actress said as though Mary Maclane said them - it's based on her writing, and for the sake of these thoughts I'll assume it's a faithful representation!
I've been dwelling on it for a few days. Here's a brief description:
More than one hundred years ago, The Story of Mary MacLane set America aflame. A shocking confessional from a 19-year old girl who refused to succumb to the corset-bound prudery of her age, Mary’s scandalous memoir broke all the rules – and sold over 100,000 copies.
In some ways, it's a character study: self-expression from a passionate, desperate, lonely, intense, self-absorbed, honest, raw and ground-breaking woman. She's been described as 100 years before her time, and the parallels between her personality and what is now common in our society were distinctly highlighted. She was incredibly scandalous in her time, but today her sexual exploits and self-indulgence aren't particularly shocking.
I found myself resonating with some aspects of her personality - at least myself before I started following Jesus. I think now the same longings and desires are there, they're just met differently (and far more happily than hers). Here's a few thoughts - in a series of posts, to keep them short-ish:
1) I was sad to hear her repeatedly dismiss Christians, and especially Christian women.* She felt they were uptight, boring, mundane things and completely different to her passionate, honest and self-aware genius.
I wish the Christian women in her day had expressed their faith differently - although I acknowledge that it was a different culture and I don't want to judge my sisters! I think Christians, and Christian women, often have this reputation - prudish, boring, etc. I'm fortunate to know lots of funny, passionate, joyful, insightful, deep, real Christian women - but I think there's a danger of conforming and hiding honest, real experiences of life under a facade of what is 'proper' and 'right'. I don't want to pretend to have it all together when the whole point of my faith is that I don't and I need help.
I love it when Christians are expressively passionate, without being loopy. When there's a depth of honesty and rawness that is obviously genuine and reflects their actual experience. I think we need more of this, and we need to communicate that following Jesus doesn't involve losing our personalities and individuality.
I'm also aware that sometimes the reason I'm not completely open and honest about things is to protect others (myself too, but I'm not focussing on that now!). There are things I just need to shut up about because they're not my secrets to tell, or it wouldn't be loving/loyal to speak. I find that hard because my preference is to share. Mary Maclane admits quite freely that she doesn't think of anyone but herself, so she isn't constrained at all by the desire to not slander others.
* I'll speak about the things the actress said as though Mary Maclane said them - it's based on her writing, and for the sake of these thoughts I'll assume it's a faithful representation!
Monday, December 5, 2011
Gracious activism
If we're following Jesus, we need to be activists:
1) Being gracious in thinking about the big picture: tackling issues one at a time.
I don't need to overwhelm myself with the possibilities for acting on behalf of others. There are hundreds of good causes, and areas of injustice to explore, lots of everyday decisions that I could change that would make a difference in the lives of others (such as Fair Trade, being generous to those less materially blessed, the sex slave trade, cotton production, how sustainable our fishing industries are, how far our food is transported, how agriculture subsidies affect poorer farmers, etc, etc). However, if I look only at the ideal, it's easy to feel drained and discouraged about how unjust our world is.
I prefer to start with how I currently live - my own current system of habits - shopping, transport, cleaning, food sources, energy sources, etc - and choose one area at a time to research and change. Over a year or two, I've done a lot of educating myself and making changes to our family habits - but it's rarely felt overwhelming.
2) Being gracious within each issue: thinking about habits, not every instance.
If I change what I do 90-95% of the time, that's almost as good as all the time and a whole lot better than never. That means that I can meet a friend at a cafe that doesn't sell Fair Trade tea/coffee, or gratefully accept a gift of clothes that were made unethically or eat some bacon served by someone else when I know it was treated in a way that doesn't reflect God's stewardship of the earth. My habitual practices try to make a positive difference, but it's not a test that I need to get 100% for.
3) Being gracious towards others.
I'm conscious of the need to be gracious with others. It's very easy to be self-righteous and critical of others who either are ignorant (by choice or because they're not aware of any injustices) or know but don't act on that knowledge. However, I don't think self-righteous pride honors Jesus and so it's good to not overwhelm others with lots of accumulated knowledge (I know this from experience - oops, and sorry to those who have experienced a rant from me). Far better to consider how I'd want to hear from some one else about an area I've never thought about - with patience, a gentle introduction, the option (but not pressure!) for further conversation/information and an acknowledgement that there might be other things that are more pressing for me now.
- Speak out, judge righteously, defend the rights of the poor and needy. Proverbs 31:9
- You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. Jesus, Luke 10:27
- They asked only one thing, that we remember the poor, which was actually what I was eager to do. Paul, Galatians 2:10
1) Being gracious in thinking about the big picture: tackling issues one at a time.
I don't need to overwhelm myself with the possibilities for acting on behalf of others. There are hundreds of good causes, and areas of injustice to explore, lots of everyday decisions that I could change that would make a difference in the lives of others (such as Fair Trade, being generous to those less materially blessed, the sex slave trade, cotton production, how sustainable our fishing industries are, how far our food is transported, how agriculture subsidies affect poorer farmers, etc, etc). However, if I look only at the ideal, it's easy to feel drained and discouraged about how unjust our world is.
I prefer to start with how I currently live - my own current system of habits - shopping, transport, cleaning, food sources, energy sources, etc - and choose one area at a time to research and change. Over a year or two, I've done a lot of educating myself and making changes to our family habits - but it's rarely felt overwhelming.
2) Being gracious within each issue: thinking about habits, not every instance.
If I change what I do 90-95% of the time, that's almost as good as all the time and a whole lot better than never. That means that I can meet a friend at a cafe that doesn't sell Fair Trade tea/coffee, or gratefully accept a gift of clothes that were made unethically or eat some bacon served by someone else when I know it was treated in a way that doesn't reflect God's stewardship of the earth. My habitual practices try to make a positive difference, but it's not a test that I need to get 100% for.
3) Being gracious towards others.
I'm conscious of the need to be gracious with others. It's very easy to be self-righteous and critical of others who either are ignorant (by choice or because they're not aware of any injustices) or know but don't act on that knowledge. However, I don't think self-righteous pride honors Jesus and so it's good to not overwhelm others with lots of accumulated knowledge (I know this from experience - oops, and sorry to those who have experienced a rant from me). Far better to consider how I'd want to hear from some one else about an area I've never thought about - with patience, a gentle introduction, the option (but not pressure!) for further conversation/information and an acknowledgement that there might be other things that are more pressing for me now.
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